Assembly in Action: Switching to Automated Marking Boosts Productivity
The company supplies air tools and precisely machined components, accessories and other industrial tools to customers worldwide. Its pneumatic air tools are sold to companies like Rolls Royce, Conoco, Shell and Boeing and for application in oil fields, truck fleets, foundries, welding shops, mines and aircraft. The company has long needed an efficient and precise way to engrave manufacturing date and source, part and serial numbers, and special information on flat tags, as well as rotary marking direct onto the component parts.
According to Keith Friedline, project manager, "After examining existing marking systems, Matthews International Corp. (Pittsburgh) was found to be the most suited for our application." When it found the Pro·Point Model 2324 programmable indent marking system, the company was able to take advantage of many of the key and side benefits of this particular stylus marker.
According to Herb Poore, shop supervisor, the product produces the same quality imprint on tags as laser etchers. He and Friedline stress the growing importance of reliable marking of the company's machines and parts because of the vital role it plays in part tracking, general traceability and in liability matters to document proof of manufacture.
In addition to being able to create and print custom logos, graphics and text on parts, the company likes the system's durability and small footprint for production line use. The equipment fires a single solid carbide stylus to form legible characters in sizes up to 2 inches in either dot matrix or Gothic fonts.
"We immediately mounted the system on a portable cabinet to be able to move it anywhere in the plant, giving us total portability," says Friedline. "And as for toughness of the component and tag markings, they can be used in heavy construction environments, including acids and salts, which normally wipe out laser markings."
A key element in choosing the device was its handling of both flat and rotary mounted tags, as well as finished components. Because Hy-Tech's products are used in differing industrial situations, the versatility and permanence of its own tags are vital to the company's success.
Another advantage of the marking system is that now an employee can do his regular job and marking simultaneously, which is responsible for the company's higher productivity.
For more information on marking systems, call Matthews International at 412-665-2500, visit www.matthewsinternational.com or Reply 7.
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